Cisco ME 3400E Series Ethernet Access Switch ME-3400EG-2CS-A

Cisco ME 3400E Series Ethernet Access Switch ME-3400EG-2CS-A

Cisco® ME 3400E Series Ethernet Access Switches are next-generation Layer 2 and Layer 3 customer-located devices for service providers. Their design is based on the widely deployed Cisco ME 3400 Series Ethernet Access Switches. The Cisco ME 3400E Series helps service providers deliver four key attributes that are essential to next-generation Carrier Ethernet service: availability, flexibility, manageability, and security.

Product Overview

With service-provider-friendly features, the Cisco ME 3400E Series is the second-generation Cisco access switch optimized for Ethernet-to-the-Business (ETTB) VPN services. It provides both high availability and service flexibility for Carrier Ethernet business access deployments. The Cisco ME 3400E Series comes by default with advanced Layer 2 VPN service features and the option to upgrade to Layer 3 VPN services, giving service providers an out-of-the-box business VPN solution that can be scaled to meet future needs.

The Cisco ME 3400E Series (Figure 1) includes the following configurations:

 Cisco ME 3400EG-12CS chassis (part number ME-3400EG-12CS-M) with 12 dual-purpose (10/100/1000 and Small Form-Factor Pluggable [SFP]) ports, four SFP uplinks, and two slots for field-replaceable modular power supply and fan unit

Cisco ME 3400EG-2CS chassis (part number ME-3400EG-2CS-A) with two dual-purpose (10/100/1000 and SFP) ports, two SFP uplinks, and an integrated AC power supply

 Cisco ME 3400E-24TS chassis (part number ME-3400E-24TS-M) with 24 Ethernet 10/100 ports, two dual-purpose (10/100/1000 and SFP) uplinks, and two slots for field-replaceable modular power supply and fan unit

the Cisco ME 3400E Series offers two different Cisco IOS® Software feature images. The METROACCESS image offers advanced quality of service (QoS), rate limiting, robust multicast control, and comprehensive security features. In addition, the METROACCESS image includes a rich set of Carrier Ethernet access features including 802.1Q Tunneling, Layer 2 Protocol Tunneling (L2PT), and Flexlink. The METROIPACCESS image adds advanced Layer 3 features such as support for advanced IP routing protocols, Multi-VPN Routing and Forwarding Customer Edge (Multi-VRF CE), and Policy Based Routing (PBR).

The SFP-based Gigabit Ethernet ports accommodate a wide range of 100BASE, 1000BASE, coarse wavelength-division multiplexing (CWDM), and dense wavelength-division multiplexing (DWDM) SFP transceivers. These ports also support the Cisco Catalyst® 3560 SFP Interconnect Cable for establishing a low-cost Gigabit Ethernet point-to-point connection.

Service-Provider-Friendly Hardware

Because Carrier Ethernet access switches are typically deployed in small spaces in office buildings or apartments, the Cisco ME 3400E Series offers a compact form factor and flexible mounting options. In addition, the Cisco ME 3400E Series has all front-accessed connectors to simplify field installation and troubleshooting. To help ensure compliance with industry standards, the Cisco ME 3400E Series has obtained both Network Equipment Building Standards Level 3 (NEBS3) and ETSI certifications.

Industry-Standard Services

Carrier Ethernet is a huge growth area for emerging connectivity services. It is a comparatively simple, cost-effective, and familiar technology whose migration to the WAN will lead to more flexible network connectivity while reducing overall IT costs. The Cisco ME 3400E Series is certified to Metro Ethernet Forum (MEF) 9 and 14 to support industry-standard Layer 2 services and QoS features.

Gigabit Ethernet

With more and more applications demanding higher bandwidth, both enterprise and residential customers want access speeds greater than 100 Mbps. To address this requirement, the Cisco ME 3400E Series offers wire-speed Gigabit Ethernet with all the Carrier Ethernet functions. At speeds of 1000 Mbps, Gigabit Ethernet provides the bandwidth to meet new and evolving network demands, alleviate bottlenecks, and boost performance while protecting the investment in existing infrastructure.

Carrier Ethernet-Specific Software

The Cisco ME 3400E Series software is designed specifically for the Carrier Ethernet market. Numerous new features make the Cisco ME 3400E Series the optimal access switch for service providers. Many default behaviors of the Cisco ME 3400E Series are different from those of traditional Ethernet switches, making the Cisco ME 3400E Series easier to configure, manage, secure, and troubleshoot.

UNI/ENI/NNI

The Cisco ME 3400E Series software introduces the concept of User-Network Interface/Enhanced Network Interface/Network-Node Interface (UNI/ENI/NNI) for Ethernet access switches. Because the software can identify the application of each port, it can provide many powerful default behaviors. Table 1 lists some of the primary behaviors and benefits of UNI/ENI/NNI.